


Intersecting Lines

by plumtrees



Series: MatsuHana Week 2015 [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Nekoma!Matsukawa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-04
Updated: 2015-08-04
Packaged: 2018-04-12 14:10:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4482245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plumtrees/pseuds/plumtrees
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Day 2 for MatsuHana Week: In the Background</p><p>-</p><p>Somewhere out there is a world made of choices that you and I didn't make in our lifetime, an odd mix of circumstances and coincidences that culminates into us never meeting. A world where we are strangers rather than soulmates. Would I even miss you, would I even realize that something is missing, and how different would I be without you?</p><p>This is not a story of <em>now and forever</em>, but of <em>now and never again</em>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Intersecting Lines

Matsukawa Issei is in his last year of middle school and has just come home from the farewell party that the club held for their graduating seniors. He didn't cry like Yamashita, or run around giving hugs like Maeda, but he did pat Kunihara's shoulder and wish him luck. The boy is practically five inches taller than him but still looks at him like he's larger than life. He has no regrets. He's confident that he taught him well.

Dinner in the Matsukawa household is usually a quiet affair, but today's quiet is oddly anticipatory. Issei's mother is looking restless, peeking at him when she thinks he won't notice, and his father is smiling. For a man who's usually so stone-faced, it speaks volumes.

Finally, when he's halfway through his bowl of rice, they say it. His father's been promoted, and they're moving to Tokyo.

He shrugs, says he doesn't mind either way, though he averts his eyes when he does.

-

As he packs his belongings he thinks of all the promises he'll break: coming to visit the team and help out with practice when he's not busy, watching their major tournaments, cheering them on from the sidelines with the other graduated seniors.

He looks at the white jersey, accented with forest green and the number that identified him for a good chunk of a year. He will probably never wear it again, might not even fit in it soon enough, but he tucks it away in a box labeled _KEEP_ anyway.

-

He applies to Nekoma High School just because it's the closest, and refrains from any club activities at the insistence of his mother. _You need to adjust first_ , she said. _Get a feel of Tokyo, get settled and comfortable before pursuing other things_.

Issei doesn't really feel the need to adjust, he thinks. Tokyo is just a noisier and busier city but it's not like Issei is bothered by that.

Still, he misses a lot of people. It's hard to maintain a friendship based on physical proximity, and soon he realizes that his friends have made other friends, ones that aren't just words on a screen, or miles away. What used to be hours of conversation trickle down to minutes, then to mere bursts of empty words brought on by obligation.

He wonders if he's lonely, but the teacher calls his name and the train of thought is broken.

-

He gets average grades in his first year, no worse or better than the ones he had in middle school, and it is enough to convince his mother that he's okay. At the start of his second year, he hands his club application to a guy that looks like he'd just rolled out of bed, and the other flashes him a sharp grin.

"Middle blocker, eh?" he says, and Issei thinks it's a little weird that the guy looked at the position he's applying for before his name but he tries not to let it show. "Oh, you're a second year? Why didn't you apply in your first year?"

Issei shrugs. "I just moved in from Miyagi. Parents thought I should adjust first before taking any extra curriculars."

Bedhead hums, mostly to fill the silence than to show understanding, and throws him another smile. "Well, nice to meetcha, Matsukawa. Kuroo Tetsurou, also a middle blocker. I'm looking forward to playing with you."

-

He finds out later that Kuroo's a second year too, and in the college prep class, which explains why he's never seen him before. The "new blood" is mixed in with old members and regulars and pitted against each other just to see what they could do. Issei's a year out of practice but he still manages to impress. His last match of the day has him facing Kuroo's wicked grin from the other side of the net.

It is honestly the hardest match he'd ever faced. Kuroo's a master at both blocking and receiving, even better than the third year regular on Issei's side, and they don't even get a single set.

When he's bent over and breathing hard, Kuroo ducks under the net and stops in front of him, looking just as tired but grin still sharp as ever.

"Good game." he says, extending a hand, and there's not even the slightest hint of patronizing or mockery.

Issei lifts a hand with reddened and stinging fingers and clasps it tight around Kuroo's. "Good game."

Suddenly, Tokyo is starting to look a lot better.

-

He unwraps his jersey and pulls it over the shirt he's already wearing, eyes shining at the 9 emblazoned on the front. Kuroo steps towards him and wiggles his eyebrows, the black 6 on his own jersey bright against the red fabric. He winks back just to mess with him but Kuroo doesn't let it go for _weeks_ , making extra effort to stand to his right whenever they have their jerseys on.

"You're a very mature individual, aren't you?" he murmurs after Kuroo fights him (and wins) for the window seat even when he specifically chose said seat just so Kuroo couldn't sit by his right. Kuroo just smirks at him and smooths down the front of his jersey.

-

Kozume's not that much of an attention-grabber. Quite the opposite actually. He just stands in the sidelines unless he's called in for spike practice, and more than half the time the upperclassmen and a majority of the first years tend to forget he's even there.

But for Issei, who's been spending time with Kuroo, it's hard to miss the kid that he likes to drag around all the time.

Issei understands, he thinks, how Kuroo just has this annoying tendency to follow you around until you eventually get tired and just let him do as he wants. He thinks, at first, that there's a chance he could be friends with Kozume, form a sort of Kuroo Tetsurou support group. Plus, he likes video games. Issei could work with that.

But when he makes the first move, casually commenting on his character's armor when he peeks at his game from over his shoulder, Kozume just straight up _glares_ at him.

What the hell?

-

He growls under his breath when the third year middle blocker lets a spike through.

 _I could've blocked that with one hand._ he thinks sourly, and Kuroo glances at him, the same tension in his jaw. Yaku saves the ball but the same thing happens again, and this time they score it.

Predictably, they lose the Inter High that year, and this batch of seniors doesn't care enough to stick around for the Spring Tournament, so Kuroo is named captain, and the second and first years rise up to replace them as regulars.

Kuroo looks at them and Issei feels himself stand a little straighter at the pride gleaming in his eyes.

"Spring Tournament," is all he says, and a thrum of excitement runs through Issei. He grins with the effort of keeping it in.

-

They do not win at the Spring Tournament; foiled at the cusp of victory by Fukuroudani and their gold-eyed ace. He blasts through Kuroo's blocks, and even ruins Yaku's form with the speed and force of his spike. Issei almost breaks a finger trying to stop him.

They go home defeated but determined. For the succeeding weeks, they all stay behind for extra practice, leaving only when Nekomata-sensei exasperatedly tells them to. 

The bloodied cuts have coagulated and faded into scars. Nekoma greets the next year with heads held high.

-

Inuoka is really eager, and it helps that he's really skilled. Issei tries very hard not to picture a tail wagging behind him whenever he perks up at Issei's praises. Shibayama is a little more meek, which is bad considering Yaku is his teacher. Yaku quickly learns to soften his words and the crease between his brows as he teaches Shibayama how to receive better.

And then there's Lev.

He'd been initially awestruck at the sheer _height_ of the kid, but it quickly faded when he demonstrated his skills. Or _complete lack thereof_. The kid met a spike to the face trying to block it, and sure yeah, it worked, kind of, because Yaku had been too busy being concerned to follow the block, scoring his team a point, but _come on_.

The kid also couldn't receive for shit. His legs are long enough to get him to the ball with a giant step but his form is all wrong and his coordination practically nonexistent. Issei wonders if there's a chance he could slip the kid's application over to the basketball team.

But Nekomata-sensei continues to smile at Lev's every mishap. There's a glint in his eyes that Issei's learned to watch out for, and focuses extra hard on mentoring Inuoka, just so he'd look like he has his hands full.

-

They all get their brand new jerseys days before their set to have their first practice match as an away team. He smiles down at the 3 on his jersey and internally laughs at the fact that there's no one wearing a number 9 jersey this year.

(Probably has something to do with the fact that Kozume is number 6 this year, but it's just him).

-

"Kozume!"

Kozume looks up, then his eyes narrow slightly. Issei sighs internally and spares the other boy (orange hair, white shirt, pretty short) a glance before turning to Kozume, who had already started walking ahead of him.

"We've been looking all over for you." he starts, after catching up, just to try to get rid of the horribly tense atmosphere. "You've been prone to getting lost recently."

Kozume's eyes dart from him to the ground. "It's nothing."

Issei hums. "Well we both know that's a lie." he says, and it's confirmed when Kozume flinches.

"Is this about Kuroo?" Another flinch, coupled with shifty eyes. Issei sighs, outwardly this time. _Bingo_.

"You don't have to be jealous, you know."

Kozume doesn't say anything, and Issei takes the silence for what it is.

-

The first practice match is with Shirato, and in the middle of warming up, Issei's ears catch _their setter_ , _small_ and _unsteady_ from the peanut gallery near the gym entrance. He turns to fix a glare at them but they're not even looking at the courts. His glare softens to a smirk when he sees them cowering before Kuroo, the shadows on his face emphasizing the severe slash of his smile, making him look more sinister.

Issei shares a knowing look with Kai and they both shrug.

They kick Shirato's ass by winning two straight sets. They don't even give them the chance to get 15 points.

-

Issei's never really paid any mind to the stories. He's heard all the other third years chatting about it for _days_ before the actual practice match but he's never been so entrenched in school traditions and rivalries and stuff, so he politely plugs in his headphones to drone out their excitable babbling.

Even at first glance it is obvious that this is a ragtag team. They hesitate and scramble and their teamwork hasn't been solidified yet, and when he looks down he realizes he's facing off against a middle blocker that barely even reaches up to his chest. He recognizes him as the one Kozume met when he got lost and eyes him up for any strong or distinctive qualities but comes up blank.

Issei wins their little match-up only by the skin of his teeth.

"One more!" the shrimp shouts, again and again even when his entire team can't even stand. Issei looks at him and can't help but smile.

Karasuno, as it turns out, is a pretty interesting bunch after all.

-

Issei yawns for the third time in about as many minutes and rolls his shoulder back, trying and failing to get the kink out. Fukunaga glances at the act and helpfully jabs his fingers into the joint.

"We're gonna have to work on your stamina, Matsukawa. Chibi-chan wasn't even out of breath." Kuroo teases from the head of the line.

"Don't compare me to him, he's a monster." Issei grumbles without any real bite, leaning back against Fukunaga, who makes a miffed noise and backs away. Issei pouts at him and catches sight of the convenience store they're about to pass. On cue, his stomach grumbles.

He pauses just by the doors and waves Yamamoto off when he turns to him with a questioning look. "You guys go on ahead, I'll just—"

Issei gets cut off when the doors open and a guy runs out, very nearly colliding into him. He quickly babbles an apology and makes a ninety degree turn before running again. Yamamoto's yelling something but Issei's not paying attention, the spot on his chest that the boy's arm grazed tingling oddly.

Yamamoto drops down and picks something up from the floor as the rest of their teammates gather round.

"What was _that_ about?" Kai mutters.

"Some guy almost ran into Matsukawa-san and dropped his wallet." Yamamoto answers as he straightens, turning the neon-patterned pouch around in his hand.

Kai's saying something or another about handing it to a police officer but Issei doesn't hear, zooms in on the retreating figure and immediately takes the wallet from Yamamoto's hand and sprints after the stranger.

-

"Hey!" Issei yells, but the stranger doesn't look, so he settles for running faster.

He reaches out when the boy is finally within reach and grabs him by the shoulder. The boy's makes an alarmed sound and flinches out of his hold, eyeing him suspiciously as he backs away. Issei can't really blame him, but but he can't come up with an explanation, too busy catching his breath. He just raises the hand that's clutching the wallet and shoves it in the boy's face.

"You dropped your wallet." he says, between pants, and the boy's eyes go wide in realization.

"Oh shit." the boy mutters, and reaches over to take the wallet from him. "Thanks! You really saved me there."

Issei just nods and straightens when he's finally breathing normally. At this point he thinks it'd be fine to just walk away, but something keeps him rooted to that spot, watching the boy ( _pink hair, pale skin, all-white ensemble, wait why am I even checking him out?_ ) as he fumbles with his bag, tucks the wallet into the already cramped space. His eyes catch the heels of volleyball shoes in the mess that is the inside.

"You play volleyball?" slips out and he fights the instinctive urge to slap a hand against his mouth.

The other looks up at him in surprise. "Yeah, I play volleyball. Did the jacket tip you off?"

 _No, I saw volleyball shoes in your bag_ he thinks, but realizes quickly how creepy that sounds so he just nods. The pink-haired boy grins and turns around, proudly displaying the text on his back ( _Aoba Johsai VBC_ ) like a badge of honor.

"Design's pretty tacky, and the white's really tough to wash but it does its job." he says, smiling as he faces him again. "You play too, right?" he asks, eyes trailing up and down his uniform. "I'm a wing spiker. You?"

"Nekoma High School. Middle blocker."

The boy blinks and crosses his arms. "Nekoma? I don't think I know where that is."

"Oh, we're from Tokyo. We're just here for a practice match." Issei amends. To be fair, they aren't the most popular of schools, not even known in their own city. The boy nods and his eyes are half-lidded and sleepy-looking, but there's an intensity in his gaze that's almost as unsettling as Kozume's.

"Have we met before?"

Issei blinks. As far as pick up lines go, that one was pretty weak, but the boy didn't look like he was flirting. His eyebrows are scrunched up, eyes narrowed, like he's trying really hard to remember if they _have_ met before.

 _With hair like that, I'd definitely remember if I did_ he thinks, wants to say, but it's a very familiar thing to say to a stranger, so no matter how right it feels, he says, "No, sorry."

The boy's expression barely shifts, but Issei can tell from his body language that he's disappointed. Issei wonders why, but before he can think on it too much, a voice cuts through the air and makes them both jump.

"Matsukawa!"

He looks back to placate Kuroo with a small wave before turning to the stranger, who's looking at Kuroo with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry! We still have to catch the train. Bye."

The boy perks up, as if realizing that yes, studying in a high school in Tokyo means having to go home there, which means having to catch the shinkansen. He waves as Issei backs away. "Thanks again!"

-

He jogs towards Kuroo whose gaze stays somewhere behind him, and Issei knows he's appraising the stranger, gauging how far he can take his teasing now. He punches him lightly in the chest when he passes him. Kuroo just laughs and hits him back.

"Sorry, I tried to stall as much as I could but coach said we'd miss the train if we waited any longer."

Issei hums and they jog back together in silence. He didn't even notice that he had run this far. They meet up with the rest of the team with ten more minutes to spare, but coach herds them off to the waiting shed. Once they're all settled, Kuroo, predictably, leers at him, and says loud enough for the team to hear. "So what _did_ take so long? Was he trying to give you a reward? A date? A marriage proposal?"

Curious heads turn to his direction and Issei grumbles irritably. "I just returned his wallet. Geez captain, what is this a shoujo manga?"

Kuroo snickers. "Did you get his name, at least?"

Issei actually pauses at this. "No." he says, and there is an odd nagging at the back of his mind. It feels like it's a name he _should_ know. He opens his mouth, and there's something on the tip of his tongue, something he can't seem to vocalize.

Kuroo, unaware of his distress, tuts disapprovingly. "And this is why you will never get laid."

Issei is ripped from his thoughts and he turns to glare darkly at Kuroo, who's just grinning triumphantly at him. He pointedly leans across Kuroo's lap to look at Kozume's new game and talks him through how to defeat the boss, ignoring Kuroo's yelp when he digs his elbow into his thigh and his subsequent attempts to dislodge him.

-

Nekoma loses at the Tokyo Inter High.

Issei practices blocking until the skin of his palms burn. Kuroo says nothing, maybe because he's also on the other end of the court, spiking to him while Kozume tosses. He breaks focus for a split second and sees Yaku and Kai, practicing receives one court over.

He's in his third year, and the Spring Tournament would be his last chance, _their_ last chance to go to Nationals.

He powers through the pain and fatigue with that thought on constant loop.

-

Nekomata-sensei tells Lev to try playing in the practice match with Kunihira High, then tells Kozume to spend extra time with Lev to practice syncing tosses. Issei reaches over to give Kozume a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

-

Issei watches as Lev successfully pulls off his first proper spike, right before the practice match, and twice during it.

He watches as Nekomata-sensei makes Lev play in the next practice match, and the next, and the next.

-

The training camp flies by and he observes with a detached disinterest as players mingle around him. Fukunaga had taken to accompanying him, more comfortable with his silence than Yamamoto's noise and energy, doubled now that he's constantly hanging off that bald one from Karasuno, but more often than not, Issei sneaks away to be alone.

It's late but it's the last day so most people are still awake, skittering around. Those particularly close to Karasuno have camped out in their area of the dorms, taking advantage of their proximity before they're shipped off to Miyagi again.

He's not expecting anyone to bother him where he is, sitting on a high stone bench near the gym, but the crunch of grass alerts him to another presence, and when he looks back, his eyes widen in surprise.

"Kozume?" the boy had always been an early sleeper, so the fact that he's up and about at 3AM is kind of a big deal. "What are you doing awake?"

"Shouyou wanted to do a test of courage." he says simply, and Issei knows him enough to hear the unspoken _I got bored and didn't really see the point in it so I ditched_.

"I see."

He expects Kozume to continue on to the Nekoma room, probably grab one of his consoles or something and just spend some time playing before the shrimp realizes he's been abandoned, but instead he awkwardly shuffles to sit next to him, the stiffness in his movements speaking volumes about how unused he is to this. Issei feels somewhat flattered.

"You haven't been playing seriously lately." Kozume mumbles.

Issei smirks, tries not to make it look too bitter, but even in the darkness he knows nothing escapes Kozume. "Lev's going to replace me as a regular."

Kozume's gold eyes do not flicker. Issei knows that he knows this too.

"But I understand." he continues. "Maybe with Lev on the team, things'll change, and we can finally go to Nationals."

These are words he's said to himself so many times, words to dissuade the growing disdain in his chest that builds whenever he has to sit on the bench, whenever his palms twitch with the phantom ache of missing how the ball used to bounce off of them after a successful block.

But he thinks of the team, he thinks of Nekomata-sensei, old and withered and months away from retiring like his old friend, and convinces himself that he's okay with this.

"We need to become stronger." he says, tucking both legs up to cross them on the bench. "Lev will give us that edge we need to finally get to the top."

Kozume blinks at him. "We were strong before, with you."

"I wasn't enough." Issei directs his gaze upwards. "I couldn't get you to Nationals."

Kozume is eerily silent. Then, "Kuro couldn't get us to Nationals, and neither could Kai-san, or Yaku-san, or everyone else. Are you saying they should be replaced too?"

He turns his head so fast he thinks he heard it crick, but before he could deny the statement, Kozume continues. "And besides, what's wrong with not being a regular?"

Issei draws back slightly, settles down when he realizes he had stood up. Kozume pointedly stares at his swinging feet, legs too short to touch the ground. "Victory doesn't just belong to those on the court. Everyone cheers when we score, everyone shares the joy when we win." 

"Just because you're on the bench doesn't mean you're any less of a team member. The team owes you a lot. Inuoka really looks up to you. Lev too. They learned a lot just watching you play. The fact that you go out of your way to give Inuoka advice really means a lot to him."

Silence takes over for a few seconds after Kozume finishes and he fidgets, eyes looking from him to the floor, flush deepening at his awed expression.

"That's" Issei starts, disbelieving, "probably the most I've ever heard you talk."

Kozume glares and Issei laughs when he's swatted in the arm. "No, no, seriously," he dissuades, grabbing the smaller boy's wrists before he can make another swipe at him, "thanks, Kozume."

"Kenma." he mumbles and Issei blinks, wondering if it's a trick of the light, or if Kozume ( _Kenma_ ) actually _smiled_ at him.

-

The next day, he surreptitiously kicks Lev's leg into proper form. The other squeaks in surprise and jumps away from him, practically radiating fear despite his height. Issei puts his hands on his hips.

"You're spike is awesome, but remember that you're a middle blocker. The only time I'll willingly step down and let you take my spot as a regular is when I'm confident that you can score points by blocking, is that clear?"

Lev's frozen, looking down at him with wide eyes, and for a few tense seconds, Issei's afraid that the kid will spontaneously combust, but then his face breaks out into a wide grin and he bows with a resounding "Ossu!"

-

It is his last ever high school tournament, and he isn't even on the court but he feels adrenaline pulse through him all the same, watching with hands clenched around his hips as Kuroo jumps to block #10 and fails when the ball ricochets off his fingertips, flying too far for even Yaku to save.

He fights not to fall to his knees as the final whistle blows, nearly drowned out by the screams of the victors. He walks on stiff legs as Kuroo, composed as ever, calls them to line up. He goes through the last rites and formalities feeling like he's drowning.

As they make their way out of the stadium, heads bowed and steps agonizingly slow, Kai asks, "Where's Kuroo?"

Issei turns, surprised to find an empty hallway. He could have sworn he was just behind him.

"And Kenma-san?" Lev asks, looking unbelievably small with his shoulders slumped and hands tucked in his pockets, and Issei doesn't want to see this. Isn't yet ready to deal with the loss and helplessness at the fact that he couldn't even do anything to change the outcome. He turns on his heel, wordlessly volunteering himself to look for them.

He retraces the steps and just as he passes a dark, narrow path, he hears "It wasn't your fault, Kuro."

He pauses, heartbeat unbelievably loud in the silence as the sound of skin colliding against concrete resounds across the hall. He clenches his fist and grits his teeth at the muffled sobs, hissed through bitten lips. This is not his moment to witness. Kuroo's grief doesn't need an voyeur.

He turns around and walks away.

-

There are no shortage of top-class universities in Tokyo, so Issei doesn't have to look far to find one that's suitable. He applies for the Mechanical Engineering program and gets accepted for it. He considers the university volleyball club but one look at the training schedules and his syllabi dissuades him.

Kuroo, who joined a different university on a sports scholarship, is just a little disappointed about it. Yaku, who is taking Biology in preparation for med school, only nods in understanding. Mere months down the line, amidst an abandoned coffee mug, a half-full coffee pot, and a mess of pencils and drafting tools and paper, Issei knows he made the right choice.

-

University life falls into a somewhat routine. Every Monday to Saturday he takes the Ginza Line to school at 9:45AM. He takes the same line home and rides the 6:30PM train. A year later, he starts alighting two stations earlier and jogs the rest of the way if only to shut Kuroo up from making weight jokes.

As the years pass, the memory of a pink-haired boy who he chased after to return a fallen wallet is quickly buried under more significant memories, of people who broke his heart or made it race, of sights and moments that truly took his breath away.

If anyone asks, he probably won't even remember, probably can't even imagine the exact color of his hair, the sound of his voice, the words he said. If he passes that person again, in the streets or in a crowded subway, he probably won't even glance twice. He is too busy thinking of his upcoming deadline, what to get Yaku as congratulations for finally becoming an anesthesiologist, what to wear to Kenma and Kuroo's housewarming party.

Issei wonders if he's lonely, but then Kuroo jostles him, ripping apart the solemnity of his thoughts and dragging him back to a crowded room full of his old high school teammates, laughing and trading stories and poking fun at each other and he thinks, with a content little smile, that he's just fine.

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly wanted to make a Hanamaki side to this, but it was pretty...boring :)) he goes to Aoba Jousai and everything plays out pretty much the same except he's always broody and lonely coz OiIwa is too busy with each other and he feels like a third wheel 150% of the time.
> 
> ...can I even classify this as MatsuHana...?


End file.
